Surprise, Surprise!
by StarlightSkies
Summary: After coming home from their long journey south, Legolas and Elladan find themselves at Forest River with hopes of bathing before reaching Legolas' father home. Though their bath time is interrupted by an unexpected meeting!


_Surprise, Surprise!_

On the northwestern side of Mirkwood, the grass seemed to be greener than ever before that spring and the trees filled with more leaves than one could simply imagine, especially on the banks of the Forest River that ran smoothly and quietly into those parts of the great greenwood. The grass along its banks was soft and rich with color and the sun seemed finally able to peak through the tops of the tall trees and warm the rivers water. Approaching the river from its west bank were two horses, one of pure white color and the other of chocolate brown. Their masters walked besides them, only placing a gentle hand on their backs as they led them to a spot to gaze at, not too far from the water itself. Their masters were known to be fair and gentle, just like all of their kind, and were quite adventurous and curious in their young age, as they were considered so by most of their elders. After settling their horses, they laid themselves out of the grass, taking off their belts and quivers and setting down their bows, and sprawling themselves out on the soft grass under the warmth of the sun. They were elves, two well respected elves of two well respected families as it were, and they were good friends at that too.

"I don't suppose I have been any filthier in my entire life." One elf said to the other as he lifted his head to grab a piece of his soft brown hair and examine for filth that it might have collected along their journey. They were both completely covered in mud, dirt, and probably one or two insects that found its way onto their once sparkling clean tunics.

"Elladan, if you want to bathe there is a river naught three feet from you!" The other elf grumbled. They were tired and had just come back from a long hard journey in the south. Bathing for this particular elf, was far from his mind. All he wanted was change to nice clean clothes and to be fed properly instead of the small amount of dried fruit they had been eating for the last week and a half!

"Oh why thank you my lord Legolas, I was having trouble pin pointing that noise of running water! I thought perhaps it was a fountain conveniently place in the middle of the wood!" the elf named Elladan snapped. Slowly and groaning he stood up and stretched his arms and then carefully as not to touch any bruises he may have required on their journey, he pulled off his tunic and then his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Legolas asked, propping himself up on his elbows to look curiously at his friend.

"Elladan!" Legolas said just as Elladan pulled off his breeches. "Elladan, what if someone sees you? We are close enough now that anyone could possible wonder into the clearing here and see you!"

Elladan gave Legolas a tired smile. "Legolas understand this: I am tired, I am hungry, I am hot and thirsty, and I smell like a thousand trolls. Not to mention I probably have no bathed in over a month and neither have you." Elladan muttered just as he pulled off the last of his clothes and stood bare in front of Legolas. "I'm taking a bath just like you grumbled for me to do and with the way you smell and look I suggest you do the same." Elladan said and began to walk towards the water. Legolas gave his friend a look of disbelief as he passed by.

"Elladan, can you not wait another hour or so before we reach my father's house?" Legolas cried though Elladan claimed not to hear him.

"Well, are you coming or are you just going to walk into your father's house, dirty as you are?" Elladan called several minutes later. Legolas shook himself and thought. His father like things clean, and clean Legolas was not — he was far from it actually. Deciding that Elladan was right and that he was in need of bath, Legolas slowly pulled off his clothes and waded into the sun-warmed water, though he kept himself alert for anyone wanderers.

As the two elves bathed, they did not notice the new visitor they had that was now and the show that they were getting. Two unclothed elves wadding in the Forest River was not something you could see everyday. Quietly, they sat in the shadows with the horses and observed the two splashing and playing like children. Miren, Elladan's horse snorted at his master and Elladan's head turned straight towards his horse when he then began to turn bright red. Legolas was laughing hysterically at the sudden change in his facial color.

"Ell, it's a horse. Who is it going to tell about this experience, Estel and Glorfindel? Last I checked, mellon-nin, horses can not speak." Legolas laughed and watched as Elladan dove under water and raced for the nearest log to hide behind.

"It's not the damned horse that I am worried about, Legolas, and stop treating me like a child. I know well that horses do not speak." Elladan hissed at his amused friend.

"Aye?" Legolas chuckled. "Pray tell then what has you so alert? There is no one around for miles, perhaps."

"Define _no one_Legolas Greenleaf…" Elladan smirked when Legolas threw him a confused looked. "_Nin muin mellon-nin_, if you will but turn your head in the direction of our elegant steeds, you will see _someone, _is getting quite the show." After that, Legolas whipped his head in the direction of the horses and he too raced for Elladan's hiding spot. He cursed as he realized the water was crystal clear and barely waist deep.

"IDRIAL!" Legolas yelled furiously. Idrial of Lorien was a friend of Legolas and Elladan's since their childhood and had not seen each other for some years since her family decided to more somewhere in the Golden Wood, though they had previously lived in Mirkwood. Idrial sat besides Legolas' horse eating an apple and a mischievous look in her sparkling grey eyes that had them both groaning with fear of what she might do. She was known to the younger generation of elves as being as mischievous as the twin sons of Lord Elrond.

"Look's like we've been found boys." Idrial laughed as she saw her two friends blush. "Next time you two wish to bathe, wait until you reach the palace! What if I was Arwen or Lady Istelwen? We all know how well that might have gone." Idrial winked. "Honestly, a month or two gone without a fatherly figure or some other authority and you two lose your heads!"

"It is bad enough that you see us as we are now!" Elladan grumbled, still hiding behind his precious log.

"Idrial, leave so we can get out and dressed and then we will talk." Legolas growled. Really it was no secret, Legolas had fancied Idrial since they were little and every once in awhile that they saw each other, it was clear his feelings for her had never changed — well until now that is.

"Why? I see no point in concealing anything you two. I don't think you have anything on your persons that I have not seen from watching in the shadows." She laughed when both their faces went pale.

"How long have you been standing there?!" Elladan cried, horrified.

"I dare not say, though I must admit I do like the view." She smirked. "It is what we ladies call _'soothing to the eye sore'_. You two do make quite a lovely sight compared to those men who live north of the Forest River."

"Oh for the Valar's sake, Idrial!" Legolas groaned. He didn't find what his friend said as a compliment at the moment. "Idrial please, leave so we can dress." He was resorting to begging now and he hated begging.

"Like I have said, there is nothing I have not just seen Legolas, that is not on you person that will make a difference if you came out of the water now." Idrial stuck her tongue out at them, which only made them glare. Getting an idea, Idrial sighed and got up, making her way over to her friends.

"You're leaving?" Elladan said hopefully but Idrial did not answer as she walked over to where Elladan and Legolas' clothes and their weapons laid. Watching her curiously without a word, they saw her pick up their belongings and carry them over to the horses. Placing each of their master's clothes on their backs, Idrial tied their reins together and then mounted her own chestnut mare.

"She's going to run with our clothes!" Elladan hissed and they watched as Idrial swiftly rode off with their clothes and horses.

"AY!" Legolas yelled after her. "Idrial!!!!" There was no answer and no sign of her returning.

"I will kill that wrench if it is the last thing I do!" Elladan muttered as they rose out of the water, doing the best they could to hide themselves. They grabbed some large leaves and quickly made their way to the palace of Legolas' fathers.

**

* * *

**

Elladan and Legolas made it back to Legolas' father's palace fairly quickly, though their journey home was not an easy one to say the least. They had no way of actually getting around the guards, who all snickered and tried their best to keep down their laughs as they passed by. The most unfortunate thing that had happened to them though was when they stumbled upon Lords Elrond and Thranduil, Arwen, Eleniel, Aragorn, Elrohir, and Haldir, as they were running towards Legolas room for shelter and clothes. At first every one of them could only gap at the sight of them and even worse was when they were running, they had ran straight into Aragorn and Haldir and well… the leaves they had for what little protection of any onlookers went flying everywhere, basically the reason why they were all gaping and Legolas and Elladan in shock. Arwen and Eleniel gaped, Eleniel drooling more than gaping, and their friends, brothers and father's all stood seconds away from laughing.

Thranduil was the first to try and speak without laughing at his son but found it quite impossible. "Legolas… would you care to-" He stopped himself from laughing and cleared his throat. "Ah, would you care to explain as to why you are-…why you are…" Thranduil just pointed.

"I would love to, Ada." Legolas growled, noticing a familiar 'I have nothing to do with this look' on Aragorn and Elrohir's faces. "A certain elf by the name of Idrial ran off with our clothes as we were bathing in the Forest River this afternoon just after coming home from our journey south." Legolas growled and picked himself, and his precious leaves that went back to hiding his body, off the floor.

"Idrial?" Thranduil shook his head disbelievingly. "I assure you ion-nin, that _Lady_Idrial, as is her proper name, has been attending meetings with us all afternoon on the affairs on Lorien with Queen Galadriel."

"Aye, she has been in meetings with us all morning and has only just been given leave by her lady. I doubt very much son, that she would be able to locate you so fast." Lord Elrond agreed with a smirk. "Now if you will excuse me, I must see a tailor about some missing clothes." He teased and he and Thranduil walked off laughing hysterically after having no control of holding it back any longer as they walked a way. With this father and Lord Elrond out of sight, Elladan and Legolas watched as his friends broke out into hysterical and uncontrollable laughter.

"Not. A. Word!" Legolas growled but it was too late.

"Where is she? I'd like to wring her skinny neck for this –this-," Elladan snarled. "You can not even _call_ this a joke!" Elladan yelled. Aragorn, Haldir, Elrohir had a sort of innocent but not really look on their faces, in fact they all wore the same face. "You lot all knew about this?" Elladan snarled.

"WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES AND WHERE IS IDRIAL ESTEL!?" Legolas yelled and Aragorn could not help but laugh.

"Estel!" Elladan and Legolas cried out not in desperation. People were beginning to stare, if they weren't already.

"If you walk out into the market that is placed a little distance from here, you will find both your clothes being sold for quite a handsome price!" Estel roared with laughter. "Though you will find in Legolas' chambers that she spared you your weapons because she knew how important they were to you both!" Every one of them was laughing but Legolas and Elladan who had had enough and made a beeline for Legolas' room when they saw Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn coming down a flight of stairs with a giggling Idrial right behind them. She raced over to her friends who were all still laughing.

"Come back have they?" She asked as Arwen nodded her head with tears of laughter crawling down her cheeks. "Good, it ought to teach them a lesson about bathing and being unaware of their surroundings!" They only laughed harder.


End file.
